Iranian TV Mocks Obama Over Sanctions Threat

Iranian host not threatened by Obama's declaration that he will come down on sanctions violators “like a ton of bricks”.

Contact Editor

Elad Benari, 14/02/14 06:13

President Obama

Reuters

U.S. President Barack Obama declared this week that he would come down “like a ton of bricks” on firms that violate the sanctions that have been placed on Iran, but the Iranians do not appear to be threatened by the comments.

In fact, a host on an Iranian television program mocked Obama’s threat on Thursday, and suggested that the American president take “one brick and knock it against his head.”

The comments aired on Tehran TV (Channel 5) and were translated by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI).

“Obama said that companies that would trade with Iran, disregarding the sanctions, would put their credit score at risk. Then he added that any company that would violate the sanctions on Iran – America ‘will come down on them like a ton of bricks.’ Listen to this... The U.S. would come down on that company like a ton of bricks. It would destroy it,” the host said.

“Is America like a bogeyman? We don't want to portray it like that, but Mr. Obama himself is insisting on imposing such an image. We keep saying that we are okay with America and its people, and so on. We keep trying to mend the relations, and then along comes Obama and says something that ruins it all.

“So this is my foreign policy advice to the Americans when dealing with Iran: First of all, Mr. Obama, don't waste a ton of bricks. I sense a personal problem here... Instead of wasting a ton of bricks, take just one brick, and knock it against your head. Perhaps parts of his brain will swap places, and his perspective will change,” he continued.

Secondly, if Mr. Obama is such an expert on bricks, he could go back to his old job of unloading bricks, and stuff,” the host said, mocking the president.

The comments are just the latest in a series of verbal provocations by Iran against the West, particularly the United States and Israel, even after an interim nuclear deal began to be implemented.

Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali, Khamenei recently threatened the United States, suggesting that the Americans “exercise self-restraint,” after Secretary of State John Kerry said the military option was still on the table if Iran fails to live up to its part of the agreement that was signed with it in Geneva.

Last week, the Iranian navy said it was deploying a "military fleet" to U.S. maritime borders. In addition, Iranian state television ran a documentary showing simulated air attacks on Israel and the United States.